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GREENSBORO, N.C. — This wasn’t the proper ending for Jim Boeheim. Not even close. It was bizarre and shocking, but perhaps that’s what was most fitting — and ironic — about it.

If anyone knew Benny Williams’ failed full-court heave at 2:08 p.m. on Wednesday was the final play of Boeheim’s 47-year career, they hid it well. Boeheim himself may not have even known it. There he was, blank-faced, swiftly moving through the postgame handshake line and into the Greensboro Coliseum tunnel. 

He had just suffered his 441st career loss, 77-74 to Wake Forest in the ACC Tournament, and yet, little did anyone — outside of perhaps Director of Athletics John Wildhack, sitting behind the SU bench with a straight face — in the arena know this was the final one. 

The ensuing press conference led to more questions than answers. Boeheim couldn’t confirm whether he’d return next season or even wanted to. That decision, he said, was up to the university. There were signs, though, that an era was coming to a screeching halt. There was lots of reflection — on how lucky he’s been to live in Syracuse, coach his sons, coach in front of massive Dome crowds, and make deep March runs — and even signs of emotion that came close to tears. It was a rare sign of emotion for someone who usually treated press conferences as sparring matches. He said he had given his retirement speech last Saturday, but still wanted to agree with the school. It was classic Boeheim: entertaining, yet ambiguous. 

Then, three hours later, came the announcement. Even with it, all we know is this: after 47 years, Boeheim is no longer head coach. In comes Adrian Autry, his top assistant and former player. It’s unknown if Boeheim was under contract this season, or was seeking a new one, or whether he knew Syracuse would announce on Wednesday. The university’s press release didn’t quote Boeheim or use any language that made it clear he was retiring. 

It begs the question if — even after Boeheim’s seven decades at Syracuse as a player, assistant and head coach — SU moved on from him, even when he wanted to continue coaching. Requests for comment from Wildhack, Autry and Boeheim were all denied or received no responses. Autry will be introduced as head coach on Friday, with no word whether Boeheim will be there.

So it ended in the bowels of Greensboro, North Carolina, in a town Boeheim once trashed, against one of the coaches he accused of buying its team. There was little reason to celebrate, either. It ended with his mediocre team losing to a similarly-mediocre squad in a noon midweek game in front of a half-empty arena. On a buzzer-beating 3, no less. It certainly was a messy ending — SU knew this was it, thus why its statement came out at 5 p.m. on the dot, hours after the loss, with prepared quotes from Autry, Wildhack and Chancellor Kent Syverud. Nothing from Boeheim. 

Say what you want about Boeheim and the program over the last decade — yes, there has been a sizable slip, and it was time to move on — but he deserved better than this. He committed his life to Syracuse. He grew up an hour away, walked on to the basketball team rather than play on scholarship at another school, and briefly played professional basketball in Pennsylvania before returning to coach basketball, golf and even substitute teach in the city. The Hall of Famer’s success includes a national championship, over 1,100 wins and five Final Four appearances. 

“There is no doubt in my mind that without Jim Boeheim, Syracuse Basketball would not be the powerhouse program it is today,” Syverud said in the announcement. “Jim has invested and dedicated most of his life to building this program, cultivating generations of student-athletes and representing his alma mater with pride and distinction.”

SU’s administration appreciates what Boeheim has done — it immediately promoted his top assistant, one of his former point guards, to run the program. There was no national search. Wildhack recently said he had a list of future head coaches in mind. But Autry’s promotion was instant, seemingly in the works for some time. Syracuse kept the succession plan in the family. 

Syracuse isn’t Syracuse without Boeheim. The Orange would’ve never consistently filled the Dome with over 30,000 fans if it weren’t for him. He built SU into one of college basketball’s most recognizable programs, a national television regular even in its down years. His glasses, wry smile and sideline grumblings have become just as synonymous with Syracuse basketball as the 2-3 zone and the team’s orange and white jerseys. He stayed at SU instead of leaving for a bigger program for more money. 

Boeheim had plenty of flaws, and perhaps that extreme loyalty was one of them. In 2015, Syverud announced that Boeheim would retire in three years, with Mike Hopkins — the designated head coach-in-waiting since 2007 — replacing him. Then Hopkins left in 2017, Boeheim got a contract extension and that three-year plan went out the window. When Buddy and Jimmy had just played their last career game in the ACC Tournament a year ago, Boeheim said it was his favorite season ever. It doubled as his worst record-wise, but not everybody gets to coach their sons. Boeheim’s success afforded him special opportunities. In hindsight, last spring would’ve been the right time to depart.

But Boeheim wanted to keep going. He held onto the very end. He promised this year’s six-man freshman class he would coach them for one season, and said Wednesday he was happy with what they accomplished. 

“I’ve had 47 years. I got to coach my sons. Two years ago we were in the Sweet 16, and last year I got to coach my sons,” Boeheim said. “And I knew we’d have a chance to have a good team this year. We were close. I’m happy with what we did. It’s not that easy.”

This should’ve ended with a big celebration, like the one Mike Krzyzewski got at Duke last year — even though Boeheim said he didn’t want a farewell tour. But he still deserved something, anything other than what just happened. Maybe last Saturday, when dozens of his former players — and the second-largest crowd of the season — watched Gerry McNamara and Hakim Warrick’s jerseys get retired and the 2003 national championship honored, was the farewell Boeheim wanted. Just nobody knew it at the time. 

Whatever Wednesday afternoon was can’t be considered appropriate. Maybe Syracuse gave Boeheim a chance to sign off for one final time, and fittingly, he remained defiant until the end. Maybe he just couldn’t let go of the only place he’s ever known. 

After he walked right off the Odeon Theatre stage around 2:35 p.m., behind a black curtain and out a set of doors that led him into a hallway, he stopped abruptly. A white door on his left marked “Coaches Room,” was just a few steps from Syracuse’s locker room. The door opened, Boeheim quickly walked in, and then it closed. 

And fittingly, so did the Jim Boeheim era. After 47 years, that was his awkward goodbye.

Published on March 9, 2023 at 6:28 pm